Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Employment programmes form an important pillar in the strategy to assist long-term unemployed people return to the open labour market. This is achieved through the provision of opportunities within local communities to gain work experience while at the same time supporting the delivery of important services to communities. To be considered for re-entry to community employment, CE, once a person has exited, a period of 12 months needs to have elapsed and that person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment for that 12-month period. Lifetime participation on CE is capped at three years for those aged under 55 years and six years for those aged 55 years and over.

The Department is acutely aware of the differentiated impact of unemployment across local areas. The live register figures by office are closely monitored, along with work programmes in rural and urban areas to ensure maximum utilisation and value is gained from these programmes in all areas.

The rural social scheme, RSS, provides work opportunities for 2,600 farmers and fishermen who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. In addition, Tús currently has places for 8,000 participants.

The appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and the criteria for participation on employment schemes, including CE, Tús and RSS, will be considered in the context of budget 2017 and subsequent budgets. In this context, the Government is conscious of the valuable contribution these schemes make through the provision of services to individuals and communities throughout Ireland.

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